Hydrogen Therapy Helps Prevent Deep Burns from Getting Worse in Rats
- Authors
- Song Xue Guo, Yun Yun Jin, Quan Fang, Chuan Gang You, Xin Gang Wang, Xin Lei Hu, Chun-Mao Han
- Journal
- PLoS One
- Year
- 2015
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0124897
- Study Type
- Rat
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Burn Injuries
- Body System
- Integumentary System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline can reduce damage and improve healing in deep burn wounds in rats.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced burn-wound progression in rats by decreasing oxidative stress (cellular damage from free radicals), reducing cell death, and lowering inflammatory markers in the damaged tissue.
Summary
Researchers tested whether hydrogen-rich saline could protect burn wounds from getting worse in rats. They created deep burn wounds and treated some rats with hydrogen-rich saline while others received regular saline. Hydrogen-rich saline reduced harmful molecules called free radicals, decreased cell death, and lowered inflammation markers in the burned tissue. The treatment appeared to work by activating the body's natural antioxidant defenses and blocking certain inflammatory pathways.
Practical Takeaway
This rat study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may help protect burn wounds during the critical early healing period, but human studies are needed to determine if these effects translate to people. The study is limited to animals and does not establish whether hydrogen water (a different delivery method) would have similar effects in humans.
Abstract
Introduction: Deep burn wounds undergo a dynamic process known as wound progression that results in a deepening and extension of the initial burn area. The zone of stasis is more likely to develop more severe during wound progression in the presence of hypoperfusion. Hydrogen has been reported to alleviate injury triggered by ischaemia/reperfusion and burns in various organs by selectively quenching oxygen free radicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of hydrogen against early burn-wound progression. Methods: Deep-burn models were established through contact with a boiled, rectangular, brass comb for 20 s. Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, burn plus saline, and burn plus hydrogen-rich saline (HS) groups with sacrifice and analysis at various time windows (6 h, 24 h, 48 h) post burn. Indexes of oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy were measured in each group. The zone of stasis was evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and Western blot to explore the underlying effects and mechanisms post burn. Results: The burn-induced increase in malondialdehyde was markedly reduced with HS, while the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased. Moreover, HS treatment attenuated increases in apoptosis and autophagy postburn in wounds, according to the TUNEL staining results and the expression analysis of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, Beclin-1 and Atg-5 proteins. Additionally, HS lowered the level of myeloperoxidase and expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the zone of stasis while augmenting IL-10. The elevated levels of Akt phosphorylation and NF-κB p65 expression post burn were also downregulated by HS management. Conclusion: Hydrogen can attenuate early wound progression following deep burn injury. The beneficial effect of hydrogen was mediated by attenuating oxidative stress, which inhibited apoptosis and inflammation, and the Akt/NF-κB signalling pathway may be involved in regulating the release of inflammatory cytokines.